The present invention relates to tackle retrievers and especially to those tackle retrievers which use the reactionary force from a coiled spring to release a fishing hook or lure from a snag.
It is fairly common for fishermen to get their hooks and lures entangled or snagged in debris, sunken logs, rocks, and the like, located beneath the surface of the water. This is true whether the fisherman is fishing in rivers, lakes, or even on the seashore. A variety of hook and lure designs have been provided in the past for preventing the lure hook from becoming snagged but which at the same time will not prevent a fish from grabbing the hook. However, even snagless hooks become snagged and in a typical case, the fisherman will make rapid jerks of the fishing line in an attempt to break the hook loose from the snag. A quick pull on the line, followed by a quick release to first pull the hook in one direction followed by a reactionary force will sometimes break the hook loose. The present invention is directed towards a means for bringing an axial thrust to bear upon the hook so as to urge it in the opposite direction of the pulled line. A coiled spring is utilized which expands when the line is pulled rapidly in one direction and when released, a reactionary force from the coiled spring will jar the hook free of its snagged position.
A number of prior art U.S. patents have suggested using the reactionary force from a coiled spring to try to knock a hook, lure, or sinker loose from a snag. These prior art patents include a U.S. patent to Circue, U.S. Pat. No. 3,010,240 for a fishing line retriever having a coiled spring leader for releasing a fishing lure and in the U.S. patent. to Webber, Sr., U.S. Pat. No. 4,514,926 a coiled spring leader is used for releasing a snagged fish hook. In the U.S. patent to Sarakas, U.S. Pat. No. 2,616,203, an attachment for fish hooks acts both to hold the fish hook and includes a coiled spring for producing the force for releasing the hook from a snag. The Hanson patent, U.S. Pat. No. 3,447,828 shows a tackle retriever which also includes a coiled spring. The Smizaski, et al., patent, U.S. Pat. No. 3,465,465 has a reaction sinker including a coiled spring for releasing the sinker from wedged positions. The Devins patent, U.S. Pat. No. 2,594,852 shows another coiled spring tackle releasing connection as does the Klawitter patent, U.S. Pat. No. 3,037,035. The U.S. patent to Lloyd, U.S. Pat. No. 3,714,730 shows a fishing lead having coiled springs attached thereto. These prior art patents illustrate the principal of utilizing a coiled spring to produce a reactionary force for releasing a fishing lure but are generally more complex than the present invention which utilizes a conventional coiled spring having an eye formed on each end for holding a swivel or hook attaching connector and has a simple spring stop rod extending through the spring and wrapped around each end of the spring to prevent the spring from expanding past a predetermined expansion and to also prevent the spring from interfering with the fisherman's activities and landing a fish.